Wednesday, October 1, 2014

8 Acetylene Gang Members Captured! Items Confiscated From Them Include Guns And Grenades.

Eight members of the notorious Acetylene Gang were captured by combined forces of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat on Wednesday (October 1). The eight suspects were captured at a checkpoint around 3 p.m. at purok Waya-Waya, barangay San Emmanuel in the southern city.

All of the men are from Luzon, mostly from the Cordillera region. They were identified as follows:

Kayao Christopher, 23, from La Trinidad, Benguet

Payas Richard Mayangao from Tarlac City

Jonathan Jabradilla, 31, from Baguio City

Elvis Lawig, 52, from Besao, Mt. Province

Palong Apayez, 43, from Ilocos Sur

Alan Diwan, 28, from Isabela

Johnny Ramos, 35, from Quirino

Nadario Tayoyo, from Benguet

Several items were confiscated from the suspects. These include the following: acetylene tank, acetylene torch, grenades, handguns, drill, screwdrivers, IDs, and various receipts. Also taken from them is a grey van with the plate number VCP-913. These items were allegedly used by the captured men during their alleged criminal operations which usually involved tunneling though the ground in order to reach their targets like banks, pawnshops and jewelry stores.

Some of the items confiscated from the captured men. Photo by Bombo Radyo Koronadal via Facebook.

A report by Bombo Radyo Koronadal quoted Police Senior Superintendent Jose Arnaldo Briones Jr, provincial director of the South Cotabato PNP, saying that the suspects were planning to rob an RCBC bank located in the municipality of Surallah in South Cotabato. The men reportedly started digging a tunnel there but the police learned about their operations which led to their arrest.

The men will be facing charges on illegal possession of firearms and explosives. They are currently under the custody of the South Cotabato police.

Acetylene Gang is a term loosely used to refer to robbery groups whose modus operandi is to dig tunnels leading to business establishments such as banks, jewelry stores, shopping malls, and pawnshops. Many of the members are miners.

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